Dear Hayek, My father is undergoing treatments in the hospital. He depends on me when I am there, but I can’t be around as often as I would like to be because of my job. My father still has his wits about him, but he is widowed, so he is often alone at appointments, unless […]
Part 2: How to Respond When a Person with Dementia Asks if Someone Has Died
Note: This article is the second part of a three part series sharing the wisdom of Katya De Luisa, a dementia educator and author of “Journey through the Infinite Mind–the Science and Spirituality of Dementia.” Read part 1 and part 3 here. What should you do when your loved one with dementia believes someone who […]
How to Be a Patient Advocate for a Loved One
Q. My father, Rick, has FTD (frontotemporal dementia — the kind that causes him to have behavioral problems such as aggression and lack of respect for the personal space of others) and also suffers from recurring urinary tract infections. On one recent occasion, his UTI was so bad that he was seriously delusional and the […]
When Should I Update My Power of Attorney?
Q. I’ve had a Power of Attorney in place for two decades now. I have moved since then and have had several life-changing events occur. I’m wondering in what instances should someone update their Power of Attorney? What happens if I don’t update it? Thanks for your help! A. As you likely realize, it is […]
Should I Update My Incapacity Planning Preferences Because of the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Dear Ernie and Jannette, I have seen friends and family fall ill with coronavirus. Luckily, they all survived. It got me to thinking that I need to review and update my advance directives at this time to make sure what I wanted before is still relevant if I should get coronavirus. I did my planning […]